Warren’s new star all over the place
Treylon Burks was a water boy when future Arkansas Razorback and NFL player Jarius Wright played for the Warren Lumberjacks from 2005-2007.
A decade later, Burks is making plays for the Lumberjacks, just like Wright did.
“It made me strive to greatness,” Burks said of seeing Wright, Greg Childs and Chris Gragg play for Warren.
Warren’s junior wide receiver has been one of the state’s top players this season, accounting for more than 40 touchdowns while playing at receiver, quarterback and running back for the 8-4A Conference champion Lumberjacks (13-1). He also plays defense and on special teams.
Warren will face Arkadelphia (13-1) in the Class 4A state championship game at noon today at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Before the Lumberjacks could punch their ticket to their second consecutive state championship game, they turned to Burks in the Class 4A semifinal game at Joe T. Robinson.
Burks rushed for 93 yards and 4 touchdowns on 25 carries and caught 6 passes for 72 yards. He scored on a 1-yard run to give Warren a 35-28 lead in overtime.
Then, on Robinson’s overtime possession, Burks, at linebacker, stopped Robinson running back Caezar Warren on fourth and goal at the Warren 2 to seal the Lumberjacks’ victory.
“We had to keep pushing ourselves,” Burks said. “When it came down to the end of the game, we wanted it more. That’s what happened.”
Warren Coach Bo Hembree has coached the Lumberjacks since 2000. He’s been impressed with Burks’ team-first mentality.
“He’s the type of football player who wants to do whatever it takes to help this football team win,” Hembree said. “He’s not selfish. When you have good players, it’s hard to get them to understand that it’s not all about them. But he understands that completely.
“He’s an unbelievable kid first, and an unbelievable football player second.”
When Wright visited Warren for the Lumberjacks’ Class 4A quarterfinal game Nov. 24 against Prairie Grove — the day after Wright played for the Minnesota Vikings at Detroit on Thanksgiving — he told Hembree that Burks was special.
“I’ve been around high school football all my life,” Hembree said. “There’s not a lot of people who have seen a player like him in Arkansas, ever. I haven’t either.
“You can put him in a lot of different spots and he’s going to probably be the best player in that spot. We can put him at quarterback. We can put him at wideout. We can put him at linebacker. We can put him at safety. We can put him at D-end. He’s going to punt. He’s going to return kicks.
“He’s just a junior. He’s so big and physical and fast. Hopefully we can rally around him [today].”
Burks, 6-3, 205 pounds, has been offered by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Oregon, among others. He said he doesn’t plan on making a decision until after his senior season.
“I’m just living the high school life right now,” said Burks, the state’s top player in the Class of 2019 and No. 7 receiver in the country, according to ESPN.com.
Said Hembree: “He’ll get to go to wherever he wants, that’s for sure.”
Burks, a sophomore on last season’s Class 4A state championship team, is ready to face the Badgers, the No. 2 seed from the 7-4A Conference.
“It’s going to be fun,” Burks said. “I’m ready to see what they got for us and what we got for them.”